First Year's a Pain, Isn't It?
by Mandoli
Summary: A new girl enters the ranks of Hogwarts. Unfortunately, she's in the same year as Harry Potter himself.


**Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters or locations in the book series. (Besides, I'd be a millionaire and therefore wouldn't resort to writing fanfiction.) The main character is a girl I made up, so she's the only person who I own. With that note, let's begin...shall we?**

Karen Meredith was just your average, typical girl. She had no idea what she was going to do when she got out of school, and at her age, she really didn't care. But then...something changed her life forever. Sitting in a compartment on the Hogwarts Express, she realized her life wasn't going to be average and typical anymore. That's because the rest of her life was magical. She was destined to be a witch. And the only place that would take her was Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

She looked in the compartment across from her and noticed three people talking to each other. One had short dark brown hair and glasses, one had short red hair, and the other one had shoulder-length blonde hair. Karen didn't know who they were and at that time she really didn't care who they were. She looked back to where she was previously looking when she heard a girl call out "Hey, Karen." That person was Susan Bones, another newcomer to the school. "So...what house do you think you'll be placed in?"

Karen looked at Susan. "Well, I might as well end up in some evil house," she said. "I have no intention of doing anything good anyway. I'm somewhat of a dark girl, but I do have a good side at times. Watch. I'll end up in Slytherin." Just then, the train stopped and a voice bellowed out. "First Years come to me!" Karen got out of the compartment only to run into the girl from the other compartment. "Watch where you're going," Karen said with a dark look plastered on her face.

She got off of the train and made her way towards the big man who had called the First Years over to him. "First off, my name's Hagrid. I'm the school groundskeeper. You see all of the older students making their way to the school already? Well, you'll go to the school. Just not the way their going. Follow me." Hagrid led the first years to a bunch of boats. Karen took a seat in one with Susan, and along with the rest of the First Years, the two of them made their way to Hogwarts.

When Karen reached the school, she looked up and noticed that yes...the school was that huge. Where she would be living was still a mystery. Climbing the stairs to the Great Hall, her thoughts about what house she would be placed in changed a little. She went from being in Slytherin to being in Ravenclaw for her smarts. Or maybe Hufflepuff for her ability to be friendly. But maybe she'd be in Gryffindor because she was brave at times...

All of that would be answered at the Sorting Hat ceremony. Hagrid led the First Years into the Great Hall. Karen looked around, seeing all of the students looking right at them. There was complete silence from everyone's mouths. The only thing she could hear was music playing from some corner of the room. A second later, she stopped dead in her tracks, only to see Hagrid make his way to his seat at the Staff Table and an older woman standing next to the Sorting Hat. Karen thought she was a professor. And she was right. "I'm Professor McGonagall," the woman said. "Welcome to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. In a few moments, you will find out what house you will be in. There are four houses: Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. You will come up here, put the Sorting Hat on your head, and report to the table of your representing house. We'll begin now."

The first name to be called was Ron Weasley. Karen looked as the red haired boy from the other compartment went up to the stool. The Sorting Hat said something about other Weasleys being in the school, and that he would be in Gryffindor. All of the Gryffindors applauded at the new student. Then Hermione Granger was next. "She's the girl who I bumped into," Karen said to Susan as Hermione was also sorted into Gryffindor. It didn't take long for the Sorting Hat to tell Draco Malfoy that he was in Slytherin...since the hat didn't even go on the top of his head. Susan went into Hufflepuff, and the last member of the adjacent compartment--one "famous" Harry Potter was sorted into Gryffindor after a long discussion with the hat. And then...

"Karen Meredith!"

Karen's body went weak as she started to approach the Sorting Hat. She really looked like she was about to cry. Professor McGonagall put the hat on her head, and the hat started to speak. "A multi-purposed student," it said. "Might be good in any house I put her in. But what house will it be?" Karen was getting even more nervous about the choice. It didn't matter what house it was. She just wanted this whole Sorting Hat ceremony to end for her. The house continued to speak. "You might be perfect to go into Slytherin...but I think you'd be better off going into..."

The last word made Karen eat her words from the Hogwarts Express.

"**HUFFLEPUFF!**"


End file.
